2008 Chevy Malibu Hybrid

GM may have been slow to step up to the plate, but its hybrid efforts are now in full swing. We’ll beg forgiveness for these unfortunate puns in advance of reading the following. It was just too good an opportunity to be missed.

Chevy’s all-new 2008 Malibu Hybrid, the latest in a series of mild and full (or as GM likes to call the latter, “strong”) gasoline-electric hybrid models heading to showrooms, made its world debut recently at a major league baseball game in San Francisco, California. The Malibu Hybrid will begin production in October with availability shortly afterward.

Motivation is supplied by a mild hybrid system offering an EPA estimated fuel efficiency rating of 24 mpg city and 32 mpg highway, about a 2 mpg increase over the standard four-cylinder model. The affordable hybrid system uses a 36-volt electric motor-generator and GM’s 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine, with the electric motor providing additional acceleration at launch and during passing.

Fuel savings is achieved by shutting the engine off when the vehicle is stopped and restarting when the brake pedal is released…pretty standard hybrid fare. However, full accessory functionality, including climate control, continues even with the engine off at stop to provide what GM describes as a seamless hybrid experience. That is different. Early fuel shutoff is used during deceleration to help fuel efficiency. Electricity generated during deceleration also helps recharge the hybrid’s nickel-metal-hydride batteries, as is the case with most hybrids these days.

As would be expected, the 2008 Chevy Malibu Hybrid continues GM’s general approach to hybrids, which means it isn’t differentiated from a standard counterpart with anything other than a bit of hybrid badging. Also under-the-radar is the use of 16-inch low-rolling resistance tires, a final nod to the need to optimize fuel efficiency.

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